The Home Cleanse: Stylist Tips for the New Year

Unlike a trendy New Year juice cleanse, a home cleanse is guaranteed to make you feel good, and will have lasting benefits for you (and your guests!) throughout the year. Putting away the Christmas decor was just a warm up—consider this list, from Vancouver stylist Nicole Sjostedt, your new home workout regime.

We love this clutter-free kitchen from a Naramata Bench home featured in our June issue. (Photo: Janis Nicolay.)

Purge the Guilt Items. What is a “guilt” item you ask? Sjostedt says these are things you try to convince yourself you still love. Three to four times a year, the stylist takes a good hard look at her rooms and wardrobe to decide which pillows and throws still hold a place in her heart. Because if you don’t love it, cut it. “I have an account set up with a great second-hand/resale shop for clothing and furniture, Turnabout on South Granville. I turn in my purged items making new space and possibly new spots to be filled.”

(Photo: Eydís Einarsdóttir.)

Use It or Lose It. “Unless it has a purpose, it’s not allowed,” says Sjostedt. Take for example a recent convo the stylist had with one of her clients: “We had gone through her house before the holidays and decided to clean out eight years of buildup. I found two un-opened tablecloths from Costco. One red and one black. I asked her, ‘When do you use these?’ and her answer was, ‘They were so cheap I just had to buy them in case.’ That’s a big NO in my books—unless there is a specific use, no way!” As they continued through the cleaning process, Sjostedt also found several sets of forgotten placemats the homeowner admitted she didn’t even like. This is wasted money and space says the stylist, who then found her more neutral placemats that worked for her space all the time and limited her to just this one set. “Use the set you have until they look like you need new ones.”

Trim to Slim. You’ve heard it before: it’s quality over quantity. “When there is less stuff filling up space, you have room to actually see the beautiful stuff you have and appreciate it,” she says.

Set a Goal. A style goal, that is! Our gal Sjostedt recommends hitting Pinterest and creating secret boards for your style goals, one for Needs and one for Wants under each theme (like Spring Wardrobe, 2015 Kitchen). Needs are for essentials only (a rain-proof jacket, a replacement for that plant you killed off in 2015) and Wants are extra special gifts to self, says Sjostedt. “Do not sway from this visual list.” Especially when it comes to home goals, try to create a quality spring or winter home look you love that has longevity and stick to it. Sjostedt’s personal style goal: “For the home it’s always been about simplicity, simple lines, layers, textures—organic materials like linen, wool knits, cotton etc. Blendable colours—more neutrals for me—and really staying true to highlighting the space we live in. We’ve moved a lot over the last 15 years and each home had these wonderful traits and I love to highlight that. I’d rather see the space than clutter it.” BTW: For her style Pinsperation check out pinterest.com/nsjostedt.

Check out these chic see-through storage options from Cb2 (Mod Locker $700, top left and right) and West Elm (Wire Mesh storage baskets bottom left, starting at $29).

Transparent Storage FTW. “Have a storage spot that you can visually see what you are packing,” she says. “For instance, if you have a home spring look and a winter look of accessories be sure to store it in clear bins or a closet where you can see it.” Have a rule that there is one designated parking spot for these storage items as you alternate and nothing more.

One In, One Out. “Every time you buy a piece of clothing it should not be replacing and getting in the way of you wearing another.” Sjostedt paints us this picture: say you buy a new black turtleneck that’s slightly different from the one you have, when you get ready in the morning, which one are you going to reach for? Do you really need both?

Use the Wedding China Daily. Even if it’s just for a cup of tea, one of the best pieces of advice Sjostedt was ever given was not to pack it away, but keep special dinnerware out to display and use daily. “If not, you’ll forget about it or get too lazy to bring it all out,” she explains. “I had a girlfriend who had just her china set and that set only for everyday use. It was so chic, every time I came over for a cup of coffee I was served it in bone china and I just thought it was so posh!”

(Photo: Thinkstock.)

Colour Coordinated. “I organize my wardrobe and accessories by colour!” shares the stylist. This way she can easily see the inventory, swiftly choose items by mood (is it a navy day or blush pink day?), and see what pieces are lacking from the spectrum.

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